Stormy Weather I: Too Many Whirlwinds
by matahari2
Summary: *COMPLETE * AU – More troubles for the Stetson-King family--can’t these people catch a break?
1. Storm Clouds

Stormy Weather by matahari2  
  
Summary: AU - More troubles for the Stetson-King family--can't these people catch a break?  
  
Timeframe: March, 2002  
  
Disclaimer: These great characters are the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions, they don't belong to me, nor will I get one dime for writing this story. The story, however, is mine. Please don't archive without my permission.  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Feedback: PLEASE! Read and Review!  
  
Author's Notes: This story follows after the events of "An Anniversary to Remember," which was based on the assumption that Lee and Amanda's mystery marriage's cover was blown within six months, and that everyone knows about the secret wedding that took place on February 13, 1987.  
  
Chapter One - Storm Clouds Stetson Residence, Early Morning  
  
On her way up the stairs, Amanda heard the not-so-dulcet tones of her husband's voice.  
  
"Amanda!" Lee barked from the recesses of their walk-in closet. Picking his way through the row of jackets and suits, he yelled, "What've you done with my dark blue suit?!? And why'd you go and move my watch again? You know I like to keep it on the countertop in the bathroom! I've got a meeting with the new director at 8:00 a.m., and you're not helping me here!"  
  
Amanda could see the scowl on his face without even looking. She shook her head, took a few calming breaths and answered, "Keep your shirt on, would ya?" Reaching the entrance to the closet and holding up the hanger for his inspection, she said, "Your suit's right here. . .I picked it up at the cleaner's yesterday. I was just bringing it up for you." She dangled the second object of his search like a blue ribbon prize, and continued, "And here's your watch, which I found on the island in the kitchen. . .right where you left it."  
  
He didn't say anything. He simply glared at her, grabbed the suit and wristwatch out of her hands and stalked back into the bedroom to get dressed.  
  
When exactly had this started, she wondered. Only a little over a month ago when they'd celebrated their fifteenth wedding anniversary, he'd been so tender with her, so loving. What on earth had she done? What had happened to change his attitude so radically?  
  
**********  
  
Mid-morning at the Agency  
  
Francine Desmond-Stone nearly had to sprint down the corridor to catch up with the whirlwind that was Lee Stetson this morning. She touched his sleeve to capture his attention and asked, "Lee, do you have a minute? I really need to talk with you."  
  
"So talk," he said curtly, his long strides not missing a beat. When she didn't start talking immediately, he darted his eyes toward her and shouted, "What is it, Desmond? I don't have all day!"  
  
"I need to borrow Amanda for a few days," she said as they entered the bullpen.  
  
She could see he was clearly not in the mood for this discussion, as he frowned at her and shouted, "What?!?"  
  
He pushed the door open and Francine followed him into his office. She picked up where she'd left off, explaining, "I know. . .her primary assignment is the Training division these days, but I could really use her help on one of the Q Bureau cases, since it ties into one that the two of you worked several years ago, and. . ."  
  
He held up his hand like a stop-sign and interrupted. "Wait a minute. If you need Amanda's help on a case, why are you asking me? You know I don't have any authority over what she does here! Why don't you just ask her?" He didn't wait for an answer, but sat down and placed his reading glasses just below the bridge of his nose, flipped open the top file from the three-inch high stack on his desktop and gave it his full attention, before looking up at her and saying, "Now. . .do you mind? I have work to do here," effectively dismissing her with his barely civil tone.  
  
Francine nodded silently and turned to leave, but her face must have registered the shock and disappointment she felt at her old friend's rebuff, because when she found herself back in the corridor outside the bullpen, she realized several of her fellow agents were staring at her as they passed by. The next thing she knew, she heard Amanda's voice.  
  
"Francine! Are you all right?", she asked, her brows knitted in concern as she reached forward to touch Francine's forearm. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"No, no, I'm fine," she lied. Averting her gaze for a moment, she started to recant her statement. "Well. . ."  
  
"Well, what, Francine?" Amanda prompted.  
  
"It's just. . .who stepped on his tail?", Francine asked, lifting her palms up in frustration. "I mean, good grief, Amanda! All I asked for was a minute of his time. I almost broke a heel running after him down the hallway, and then he practically threw me out of his office!"  
  
When she'd finished the tirade, Francine looked down for a second, softened her tone and continued, "I'm sorry, Amanda. I know he's your husband and all, and I thought we were good friends, but lately he's been treating me like nothing more than an annoyance."  
  
Amanda didn't say anything, but Francine caught the rolled eyes and the slight smirk that flitted across her face. 'So you're getting the same treatment?' Francine pondered. 'What could that mean?' She shook her head to clear it of these unwelcome thoughts and directed her attention to the matter at hand. "Anyway, Amanda, you're the one I really needed to talk to. I could use your help on one of our cases. . .", she began, as the two of them turned into the crosswise corridor and headed for the elevator.  
  
**********  
  
Stetson Residence, Evening  
  
Jenny passed the bowl of green beans to her mother as she asked, "Mom, do you think Dad would mind too much to help me with my geography project on Paris, France?"  
  
"Well, I don't know, Sweetie. You'll have to ask him," Amanda answered as she spooned a few green beans onto her plate. Picking up her fork, she gave Jenny a small smile and went on, "Of course, I don't know why he woudn't want to help you. He was always more than willing to help your brothers on things like this."  
  
"Things like what?" Lee asked, after shutting the back door and dropping his coat and briefcase into one of the chairs in the kitchen.  
  
"Oh, Hi, Dad. . ." Jenny began before her father rudely interrupted.  
  
"Well?" he asked her impatiently, roughly pulling out the chair and sitting down at the head of the table.  
  
"Well, see. . .I have this geography project to do on Paris, France, and. . ."  
  
Not waiting for her to finish her request, he put in, "When's it due?"  
  
"Not until a week from Friday," Jenny answered. Seeing the grim set of his face, she decided to drop the subject, holding her hand up and saying, "Oh. . .never mind, Dad. If you don't have time, maybe Mom can help me instead."  
  
"No, no, I can help. . .just not tonight," he offered. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers, then reached out to touch Jenny's hand before continuing, "Let's try for Saturday morning, okay?"  
  
A mere split-second later, he gestured at the empty table space in front of him, asking Amanda roughly, "So what now. . .I don't get to eat?"  
  
"I'm sorry. . ." she gritted out. "You told me you'd be working late tonight. You didn't say how late. . .there is such a thing as a telephone, you know," she said, grumbling her way back to the kitchen to pull out Lee's place setting and to bring him a glass of ice water.  
  
Jenny didn't like what she was seeing. 'This is weird--Mom and Dad going at each other like this. And Dad's always real good to me, at least up 'til the last few weeks. What's up with him lately?' she wondered.  
  
**********  
  
Stetson Residence - Later that night  
  
"Good night. . .remember now, lights out in thirty minutes, all right?"  
  
"Okay. G'night, Mom," Jenny answered as she flipped on her bedside lamp and opened the book she'd been reading.  
  
After closing Jenny's door, Amanda approached their bedroom with an unfamiliar feeling of apprehension. She hesitated outside the door, hardly knowing what to say or do. Lately, it seemed as though the least bit of provocation would set Lee off. Then again, she'd witnessed entirely enough of his bad mood today, so with a shake of the head and a firm grip on the doorknob, if not her emotions, she entered the lion's den.  
  
"All right, Stetson. . ." she started, only to stop herself short, realizing he was nowhere to be seen. Just then, he opened the bathroom door, dropping a crumpled paper cup into the waste can before stepping over to the bed.  
  
"All right, what?" he asked, in a quieter tone than he'd used at dinner.  
  
As Amanda watched him perch on the edge of the bed and swing his legs in and under the covers, she asked, "Lee. . .what is it?" Shrugging her shoulders and thrusting her hands upward, she prodded, "What've I done, what's anybody done, to make you so. . .so angry?"  
  
"I'm not angry with you, Amanda," he stated plainly.  
  
"Oh really?" she asked, with a cynical tip of the head, not expecting an answer. With her hands fisted on her hips, she continued, "Then why is it that I can't do anything to please you? You've hardly spoken a civil word to me in the last three weeks. Shoot! You weren't exactly Prince Charming tonight, even with Jenny, for goodness' sake!"  
  
"I know, and I'm sorry," he started, patting her side of the bed and inviting her to sit with him. At her still-disbelieving look, he searched out her eyes and went on, "Really. I guess it's just that I've been under a lot of pressure at work. . .you know. . .with the new director coming on, and the quarterly budget meetings and all."  
  
"You're sure there's nothing else?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and tentatively taking hold of his outstretched hand.  
  
"Nope. Not a thing," he answered, shaking his head slightly.  
  
"All right, then, as long as you're sure," she said, picking up her nightgown and heading toward the bathroom. When she reached the doorway, she leaned a hand against the jamb and turned back to him, saying, "I was just so worried. . .I love you, you know?"  
  
"Yeah. . .I know," he answered with a small smile. "I love you, too. And Amanda. . .I'll apologize to Jenny in the morning, okay?"  
  
"Okay, Sweetheart. Good night," she said tenderly, as she went in and started filling the bathtub. 'Oh well, at least we have a little peace for tonight,' she thought. 'But I don't believe his explanation for a minute.'  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	2. Early Warnings

Stormy Weather  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Chapter Two – Early Warnings  
  
Amanda coughed herself awake at 5:00 a.m. She tried her best to stifle the coughing, holding her mouth closed so as not to wake Lee, and padded into the bathroom to get the cough syrup. 'Might as well take a pain-reliever, too. . .my joints are starting to ache, with this cold coming on', she thought, stretching her neck to the side and opening the medicine cabinet to take the half-empty bottle off the shelf. 'That's funny. . .I just bought these last week, and this is a 100-count bottle. How'd we manage to use that many already?' she wondered, as she filled a paper cup with water and took one of the pills. She shrugged to her reflection in the mirror, dismissing the pill-count issue for the moment, and crept back into bed.  
  
When the six o'clock hour rolled around, Amanda was reminded of that movie, "Groundhog Day", where the poor guy relives the same day, over and over and over again. It was as if their bedtime conversation the night before hadn't happened. At least that's what it sounded like to her.  
  
Lee burst open their bedroom door shouting, "Amanda! What the hell are you still doing in bed? You knew I had to get the car into the shop this morning!" He stepped into their bathroom to pick up his watch and put it on his wrist while continuing his rant. "I need you to follow me there and give me a ride to the Agency. Now come on!"  
  
"All right, all right!" Amanda answered as she sprung out of the bed and shut off the unnecessary alarm clock. Rubbing her tired eyes, she said, "I'll just get Jenny up and start the coffee. . ."  
  
"Never mind the coffee. . .you just get ready!" he yelled, turning her shoulders and propelling her into the bathroom.  
  
'Yes, sir!!' she didn't say, but offered an exaggerated mock salute to his retreating back and picked up her toothbrush.  
  
"Jenn-i-fer!! C'mon! Up and at 'em!" Lee called, banging on Jenny's door with his fist and twisting the knob to enter her room.  
  
"But Dad, it's only 6:00!" Jenny protested, pulling the covers over her face.  
  
Lee pulled the covers back down and held up his wrist, showing Jenny the time and saying through gritted teeth, "No. . .it's ten after, and we've gotta be on our way before 6:30. . .now come on, get with it!" He circled his hand in front of him in a 'hurry up' gesture, and Jenny bounced out of the bed and hurried over to the hall bath.  
  
'All right, already! What's the big deal?' she thought. She didn't remember hearing anything about having to leave early today.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Lee paced the kitchen, drumming his fingers against his leg, as Amanda came down the stairs and picked up the phone's receiver and started to punch in a number.  
  
"What are you doing?" Lee asked, stopping and thrusting out his hand in apparent frustration. "Who are you calling at this hour?"  
  
"The Carters. Jenny's gonna need a. . .oh hello, Janet! This is Amanda Stetson. Listen, I hate to ask you this at the last minute, but would you be able to give Jenny a ride to school today? We need to get Lee's car into the shop and I have to drive him in to work. . .okay, then, thanks so much! We'll drop her off at your house in just a few minutes. Okay, bye!"  
  
"Oh great, Amanda! Another stop to make!" he spouted, rolling his eyes as he started to pace again.  
  
"Well, Lee. . .what did you think we'd do with Jenny this morning?" Amanda asked, in a voice only slightly calmer than the emotions she was feeling. "She's definitely not walking to school from here, and you know she's been afraid to get on a school bus, ever since. . .", she hesitated, looking away for an instant, "ever since. . .what happened the last time."  
  
He didn't answer her, but stopped mid-stride and nodded a grudging acknowledgement. Just then, Jenny came hurrying down the stairs, and the three of them headed out the back door.  
  
**********  
  
Amanda found him in the hallway, just coming out of one of the interrogation rooms. Before he'd become aware of her presence, she'd caught him shutting his eyes and pressing his fingers across his forehead. "Havin' a hard day?" she asked.  
  
He looked up at her, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "Oh. . .Hi," he said, stuffing one hand into his pocket and smoothing his hair back with the other. "A hard day? Well, yeah. . .I guess you could say that," he answered with a slight nod, flipping off the light switch and closing the door behind him.  
  
"Looks to me like you could use a break," she said, touching his sleeve and taking a good hard look into his overtired eyes. "How about lunch at Nedlinger's?"  
  
"Well. . .all right, I guess I can work it in, as long as we make it a quick one," he consented. "Let's go back to my office for a minute. I'll check my messages, and then we can head out, okay?"  
  
"Okay, yeah, that's fine," she agreed, as they wound their way through the labrynth leading back to the bullpen and Lee's office.  
  
Lee called the voice mail message server and picked up three messages. The first one notified him that the mechanics were finished with his car; the second alerted him to a time change for tomorrow's budget meeting. The third message was flagged as URGENT, regarding an agent and a civilian who'd just gone missing in Afghanistan. Lee made notes on his calendar regarding the first two messages, and wrote down the contact's phone number on a scratch pad, along with the notes, 'agent – civilian – Afghan.', before dialing the number. "Sorry, Amanda. I really need to return this call. It's about a missing agent. . ."  
  
"And a civilian. Yeah, I see," she said, eyeing his notes on the pad. When he picked up the receiver and hesitated before starting to dial the number, a look of understanding crossed her face. "Oh. Right. I'll just be out here," she said, backing out of the room and closing the door.  
  
Five minutes later, Lee opened his door and asked Amanda to come back in. "You're gonna want to sit down for this, Amanda," he told her, placing his hand at the small of her back and urging her toward one of the chairs.  
  
He walked around the desk and sat down in his chair, but it seemed to Amanda that he was having a hard time knowing how to begin. This was starting to make her nervous. In a shaky voice, she asked, "Lee? What is it? WHO is it?"  
  
He studied his notes for a moment, then leaned his elbows on the desk and laced his fingers together before answering. "One of our agents, Bob Seehra, and a civilian photojournalist were driving toward the Pakistani border when they were captured and carried away by a small group of Al Qaeda terrorists." At her questioning look, he went on, "We don't know their exact location yet, but Bob's partner, Yusef Shaheen, and several other U.S. operatives are working on finding them."  
  
"But, Lee, the civilian. . .a photojournalist, you said. . ."  
  
"Yeah. Well, the truth is, we don't have a name on him yet," he said honestly. Before she could interrupt, he held up his hand and continued, "I know what you're thinking, believe me. The thought kept going through my mind all during that phone call," he said, pausing to comb his fingers through his hair. "And you're right. It's possible. . .it could be Jamie," he admitted, coming around his desk to sit beside her and take hold of her hand. "But we don't know that yet, so try not to worry, okay?"  
  
She tried to answer in the affirmative, but the words wouldn't come. The best she could do was to nod and silently mouth the words, 'I'll try'.  
  
Lee reached around to stroke Amanda's back, saying, "I guess lunch is out. . .going out to lunch, that is. Tell you what. Why don't we just have something brought in, okay? You just stay right here—I'll be right back."  
  
While she waited, Amanda couldn't seem to block out the stew of emotions that warred in her mind. 'First Jenny's kidnapping, now this? I mean, I know Lee said we didn't know for sure, but until I do. . .oh please, God, don't let it be Jamie!'  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	3. The Sky Darkens

Stormy Weather  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Chapter Three – The Sky Darkens  
  
  
  
Amanda cursed herself silently for her selfish thoughts. She wouldn't wish this horror on any mother's son. She'd just hope and pray that the young man who'd been captured, whoever he was, would be rescued, and soon.  
  
**********  
  
Even after the receptionist brought in their sandwiches, Amanda had been lost in thought. She was startled to hear Lee asking her, "Can I get you anything else, Amanda? You hardly touched that sandwich."  
  
"What? Oh. . .no, I don't need anything, thanks," she answered with a half- hearted smile, her voice barely above a whisper. "I just can't help thinking. . .you know?"  
  
"Yeah. . .I know. Me neither," he confessed. "But Francine and some of the other agents in the Q Bureau are monitoring the transmissions coming out of Afghanistan, and they'll contact me as soon as they know anything more."  
  
"Oh, I know they will, Lee", she acknowledged, nodding and focusing on the napkin in her lap, as she proceeded to pull it apart. She looked up to face him, admitting, "I'm not sure what I'm most afraid of--not knowing, or knowing for sure."  
  
"I understand," he said, his serious expression and penetrating gaze reflecting the truth of this simple statement.  
  
"Thank you," she said sincerely, with just the trace of a smile. Then, taking a cue from his quick, furtive glance toward the stack of files that had taken over the center of his desk, she tapped her watch. "Oh my gosh-- it's after one-thirty. I'd better get back to my office," she started, wrapping up the napkin and the remains of her sandwich and discarding them in the wastebasket beside the desk. "I have at least ten applications to review by 5:00." Starting to leave, she pulled the door open, then spun around to ask in a slightly raspy voice, "You'll call me right away. . .as soon as you know, right?"  
  
"Right," he answered with a brief nod. "See you later."  
  
As soon as the door closed, he pressed his fingers into his temples and closed his eyes tightly for a moment, before reaching into his desk drawer and shaking two red and white capsules from a large plastic bottle.  
  
**********  
  
Two and a half hours later, he'd barely made a dent in his administrative workload, when he saw Francine peering through the glass that walled his office from the bullpen, and motioned for her to enter.  
  
"All right, Francine, what do you have?" he asked.  
  
Francine carried a small notepad as she came to stand behind one of the chairs. She gripped the back of the chair and cast a quick glance toward the bullpen before answering. "Lee, I just forwarded you an email from one of our people in Afghanistan. It's a picture of the photojournalist who was riding with Bob Seehra. The name they've attached to the picture is. . ." she hesitated, looking at the notes on her pad as if she needed them, "James King."  
  
Lee hadn't waited for her to finish speaking before clicking the mouse to open his email program. When he didn't immediately find any messages from Francine, he'd clicked the 'Send and Receive' button, and the message had appeared at the top of the list. He opened the attached picture just as Francine said the name. There he was, a young man, mid- to late twenties, blondish, light brown hair, and large brown eyes. . .Jamie. "Oh my God!" he whispered, before dialing the familiar extension.  
  
"Amanda Stetson", she answered.  
  
"Amanda. . .could you come back here, right now?" Lee asked, his voice shaking slightly.  
  
She picked up on his nervousness as she shouted, "Lee! It's him, isn't it?"  
  
"Just, please. . .come on over, okay?" he pleaded.  
  
**********  
  
Francine was still relating the information to Lee when Amanda pushed the door open. Lee hadn't managed to turn the monitor away before her eyes had fixed on the image of her son. She froze in place as she cried out, "Oh my God! Jamie!"  
  
Lee rushed to her side, wrapping his arms around her, patting her back gently and guiding her to one of the chairs. He knelt beside her, sliding his fingers down her arm and taking her hand in his before whispering, "I'm so sorry, Amanda."  
  
She didn't respond in words, simply squeezed his hand and nodded silently.  
  
"Look, if you want me to leave, I'll. . ." Francine started, before Amanda found her voice.  
  
"No, Francine," she said, turning to face her. "You're our friend—I'm glad you're here. Now, why don't you go ahead and tell me what you've already told Lee. . .what you can tell me, that is."  
  
Francine shot a glance at Lee, and receiving his sign of assent, told Amanda what she knew. "Jamie and Bob Seehra were last seen at a small roadside shop near the town of Zambar in the Paktia province of eastern Afghanistan. That was about 5:00 p.m. yesterday, Afghan time. Apparently, Bob was just helping Jamie to get back across the border into Pakistan, to reconnect with some of his associates from the Herald and get his latest pictures sent back to the States. They weren't expected to arrive until this afternoon, so. . ."  
  
"So that's why we didn't learn about this sooner," Amanda finished for her. She gripped the arms of the chair and turned to face Lee, asking pointedly, "Does Jamie know?"  
  
"What? That Bob's an agent?" Lee asked. At her nod, he shook his head slightly and replied, "No. According to Yusef, Bob's partner, Jamie just thinks Bob is a Pakistani native who was raised in Afghanistan and is an anti-Taliban sympathizer, someone who tries to help the cause in whatever way he can."  
  
"Oh," she said quietly, before getting to her real question. "So Lee, what're we gonna do?"  
  
He looked directly into her eyes as he answered, "I can see what you're getting at, Amanda, but we," he paused, pointing to her and then to himself, "are not hopping a plane to Kandahar. We are going to trust our agents in the field, who know much more about the situation and can blend in much better than we can."  
  
"I know. You're right. . .of course they can," she agreed. "But we'll keep in touch and stay on top of the situation, right?" she begged, looking to both Lee and Francine for confirmation.  
  
"Yes," Lee answered. "All right, Francine, your people on duty tonight know how to reach us, correct? Have them try my cell phone in case I don't pick up right away on the secure line at home."  
  
"Right," she answered. On her way to the door, she placed a hand on Amanda's shoulder and said, "Amanda, I'm really sorry about this. You know we'll do everything we can to find Jamie and bring him home safely."  
  
Amanda touched Francine's hand on her shoulder as she replied, "I know, Francine. . .thank you."  
  
After Francine left, Lee stood up and put on his jacket. "I guess we'd better get going," he started, as he offered Amanda his hand and guided her out the door. "We still need to pick up my car, and get Jenny from the Carters', and. . ."  
  
"Lee! Jenny! What're we gonna tell her about Jamie? How's she gonna take this?" Amanda shouted, all in a rush, just as they exited the bullpen.  
  
Lee stopped in his tracks and took both of her hands in his, turning her to face him. He searched her eyes before saying softly, "I don't know how she'll take it, but we'll have to give her at least the condensed version, Amanda. There's a good possibility this could hit the news before we get home."  
  
"Oh my gosh," she whispered, her widened eyes revealing the horror she couldn't find words to express.  
  
**********  
  
They drove in relative silence to the car repair shop. Before Lee stepped down out of the Explorer, he took Amanda's hand for a moment and said, "Now, if you'll just wait for me a few minutes here, I'll follow you home, okay?"  
  
She sniffled slightly, and said, "Okay."  
  
In the solitude of the long drive to their home, Amanda couldn't stop the images coming to her mind. . .of her daughter, bound and gagged, and her son in the same condition, or worse. How could they possibly explain this to Jenny? Maybe Lee was right, she reasoned. She had to be told, at least the basics of what they knew.  
  
Every now and then, she'd reassure herself, looking in the rearview mirror and seeing Lee's car right behind her. When she'd come within about a mile from Middleburg, that reassurance disappeared. His car was nowhere to be seen.  
  
**********  
  
He'd followed at a safe distance for most of the drive from DC. He'd just realized that he'd allowed that distance to increase a bit, when, all of a sudden, immediately after Amanda had rounded a curve ahead of him, a pick- up truck, seemingly coming out of nowhere, had cut in front of him. By the time he saw the truck, it was already dead ahead, and he had to swerve wildly to miss hitting it full-on. His heart pounded in his chest, and his white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel tightened as the tires squealed, skidding across the pavement. Mercifully, his car stopped just shy of the embankment. It was at least another five minutes before his breathing returned to normal. 'How could I not have seen it?' he asked himself over and over, before slowly and carefully navigating his way back onto the road.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	4. Strong Winds

Stormy Weather  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Chapter Four – Strong Winds  
  
Amanda trudged up the walkway to the Carters' front door. As she pushed the button for the doorbell, she silently wished that the story of Jamie's disappearance hadn't hit the television screens yet, so Jenny would be spared a little while longer, but it wasn't to be. As soon as the door opened, Amanda couldn't help hearing the Headline News broadcast.  
  
"Seehra and Washington Herald photojournalist James King are missing, believed to be held somewhere in or near the Paktia province of eastern Afghanistan. Any attempts at search and rescue will be hampered by the mountainous, heavily forested terrain. . ."  
  
"Amanda! Come on in," Janet said, leaning out to open the door for her. "Jenny's just about ready." She hurried to click off the television's disturbing images before calling back to Kerry's room, "Jenny! Your mother's here for you!"  
  
As they waited for the girls to come out to the living room, Janet brushed her hand down Amanda's arm and looked at her with concerned eyes, saying, "Oh, Amanda, I'm so sorry. . .we just heard the news. I hope you know we'd do anything we can to help you."  
  
"Thanks, Janet, but there really isn't much any of us can do," Amanda said, with a sigh of resignation.  
  
Just then, as the girls came down the hallway, Jenny's pale face and red- rimmed eyes were evidence enough that she'd already been crying. When she caught sight of her mother, Jenny dropped her book bag at her feet, hurrying into her mother's arms. "Oh, Mom!" was all she said, as she buried her face in Amanda's chest.  
  
"It'll be all right, Sweetheart," Amanda said, hoping her words were true, as she rested her chin atop Jenny's head and held her close. After a moment, she pulled back slightly, took her daughter's face in her hands and wiped away the remaining tears with her thumbs. She combed a hand through one side of Jenny's hair as she asked, "All right for now?" At Jenny's slight nod, she said, "Well, then, we'd better be going. Your Dad will start to wonder what happened to us if we don't get home soon."  
  
At that, Jenny turned to pick up her bag, and said, "Thank you, Mrs. Carter. 'Bye, Kerry."  
  
Kerry rushed over to give Jenny a hug, and whispered, "Call me, okay?"  
  
Jenny nodded to her friend as Amanda urged her on toward the door. "Thanks for everything, Janet. Kerry, we'll be in touch. 'Bye!"  
  
**********  
  
Jenny started a barrage of questions as soon as they'd hit the sidewalk. "So, Mom. . .what do you know about this? Does it have anything to do with your work? Are you and Dad goin' over there? What's. . ."  
  
"Sweetie, please! One question at a time!" Amanda interrupted. Where did she get it, this 'gift of gab'? She opened the door for Jenny, climbed in and started the car before beginning her list of answers. "Now first of all, we don't know very much, not yet. Second, this doesn't have anything to do with our work. We did hear about it there, sure, but it's nothing to do with us personally. And no, your Dad and I aren't going over there. . .in this case, we'd only get in the way."  
  
Sweeping a hand through her hair, Jenny asked, "Okay, but Mom. . .what's gonna happen to him?"  
  
"Honestly? I don't know, Sweetheart," Amanda replied, briefly glancing in Jenny's direction. "We just have to hope that someone from our side will find him, and bring him home—safe and sound. Now, no more questions 'til we get home, all right?"  
  
"All right," Jenny sighed.  
  
**********  
  
Lee was both surprised and relieved to find that he'd arrived at home before Amanda and Jenny. Still shaken by the near miss on the highway, he pulled a glass out of the kitchen cabinet, set it on the counter and poured in two "fingers" of Scotch whiskey. He seldom drank any more, but this night had more than qualified as a reason to have at least one drink, if only to settle his nerves.  
  
Leaning back against the counter, he swallowed the first taste of the warming liquid. 'How could I miss seeing that truck? That's never happened to me before—not when I'm sober! I didn't even see the damn thing! Wait! I didn't see?' Was this what it was like to have night-blindness, or could you gradually lose your sight? He couldn't help wondering what was happening to him. . .first the severe headaches he'd had for the last three weeks, then this almost-collision tonight, because of something he couldn't see.  
  
Neither could he stop thinking about Jamie's abduction, and about what could or couldn't be done about it. And yet, until he learned more from the people on the ground over there, how could he help? He'd check messages every hour or two tonight. . .that was the least. . .possibly the most he could do, he determined. He started to take another sip of the Scotch and realized the glass was empty. He'd just rinsed the glass out and set it in the sink as Jenny and Amanda came in the back door.  
  
**********  
  
After they'd told Jenny what they were able to share about her brother's disappearance, Lee gave her a hug, then pulled away, rubbing a hand down her arm lightly as he said, "Now, why don't you go ahead and get ready for bed, okay? We'll be up in a minute."  
  
"Okay, Dad, Mom. Good night," she said, squeezing her mother's hand before hurrying up the stairs to her bedroom.  
  
After Jenny was out of earshot, Amanda slipped off of the kitchen stool and walked over to stand beside Lee. She slid her hand around to his back as she asked, "Are you gonna tell me what happened tonight?"  
  
"What d'you mean?" he asked, with an air of innocence.  
  
"Don't try to fool me, Lee," she insisted, pulling away from him and folding her arms in front of her. "You know exactly what I mean. . .you were right behind me for a long time, then all of a sudden, I couldn't see you any more. So what happened?"  
  
"Well. . ." he stalled, shooting a glance to the ceiling, but the ceiling offered no help. He wasn't sure he wanted to share this with her, but on the other hand, she'd just keep after him until he did, so. . .  
  
"Well, what?" Amanda demanded.  
  
"Well. . ." he hesitated again, looking down this time. 'All right, out with it, Stetson,' he told himself, before looking up into her eyes. "I don't know how it happened, but just after you'd rounded that big curve, I guess I was about a half mile behind you. . .anyway, all of a sudden, this pick-up truck cut in, directly in front of me, and I had to swerve to miss it. The car skidded across the highway, and I barely missed going over the embankment."  
  
She reached out and took hold of his hand as she said, "Oh, Sweetheart! No wonder you looked so upset tonight."  
  
"Yeah," he said quietly, nodding and glancing down at their joined hands. 'Might as well tell her the rest,' he reasoned. "Amanda. . .that's not the worst part."  
  
"Oh?" she asked, impatiently.  
  
Lee picked up his story. "The worst part is, the truck driver had to have been coming up alongside me before he pulled over, but I never saw the truck, Amanda--not until it was right in front of me!"  
  
"Oh my gosh, Lee!" she cried out. "You could've been killed, and all because of something you couldn't see?" As if she didn't have enough to worry about, she had to wonder if her husband was losing his sight by inches. What else could've caused this? All she could say was, "We've gotta get you in to the doctor's office, tomorrow!"  
  
"No!" he said sharply. At her hurt look, he softened his voice to say, "No, not now. . .after Jamie's home safe, maybe, but not right now."  
  
"All right," she answered, "but we're not putting it off forever." What she didn't say was, 'I know you too well, Lee Stetson--later means never.'  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	5. Darkness and Light

Stormy Weather  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Chapter Five – Darkness and Light  
  
Paktia province – Afghanisan  
  
Jamie was having the strangest feeling. . .not quite awake, he wondered why he couldn't stretch his arms, and how his pillow had slipped out from under him. These hotel beds could be so hard. He'd put in for an assignment in London or Paris next time, he promised himself, as he struggled to roll over onto his side.  
  
Thin shafts of sunlight began to pierce through to his consciousness. He blinked several times and shuddered, suddenly remembering what had happened. . .yesterday? Or had it happened the day before? He wasn't sure. . .he'd lost track of what day it was. He seemed to remember that he'd hitched a ride with a guy who'd been friendly with some of the soldiers he'd met. . .Seehra, his name was, right? Yeah, that was it. Anyway, they'd just left the little roadside stand where they'd picked up a couple of bottles of water, and two or three miles down the road, a sniper had shot holes in one of their tires. The last thing Jamie remembered was the crash of shattering glass as a rifle butt broke through the car window. . .then everything had gone black.  
  
Jamie rolled onto his back, pulled up his knees and pushed his feet against the hard stone floor to move himself into a sitting position, his back leaning against a cold, flat wall. He cast his gaze around the dimly-lit, square, near-empty room, finally settling on a young man dressed in traditional Afghan garb, sitting on the opposite side of the small space. He saw that the young man's hands were tightly bound, much like his own, with some kind of heavy-duty wrapping tape.  
  
Seehra's eyes were closed, but he didn't appear to be sound asleep, so Jamie took the chance to call out to him, whispering, "Psst! Seehra! What is this place?"  
  
"What?" he replied aloud, opening his eyes and squinting in Jamie's direction. "Oh. . .you mean, our 'accomodations'?" he said in a hushed voice, glancing around the room and rolling his eyes. "Well, I think it's some kind of fort. It might've been abandoned, though. There didn't seem to be anyone around when we got here. . .just the five men who grabbed us."  
  
Jamie nodded and made a futile attempt at pulling his hands apart as he asked, "How long you figure we've been here?"  
  
Bob appeared to do a mental calculation before answering. "I'd say by the number of sunrises I've seen so far, it must be about two and a half days. I guess they must've hit you pretty hard. . .this is the first time I've seen you awake. You feel all right?"  
  
"I've been better," Jamie admitted with a rueful smile.  
  
**********  
  
Stetson Residence, Middleburg, VA  
  
No less than three times, Amanda had awakened to Jenny's screams. Each time, she'd done her best to calm her, cradling her daughter's shaking body in loving arms, rocking her and gently stroking her hair, whispering assurances that everything would be all right. In her heart, she believed it would be, somehow, but that didn't stop her from worrying. The last time her troubled eyes had stared at the red numbers on the alarm clock, it was 3:30 a.m. It had to be much later now. As she turned over in bed, she became aware of the pinkish glow of sunrise filling the room. She wasn't terribly surprised when she opened her eyes to find an empty place where her husband should have been. 'Bless his heart, ' she thought, sliding her fingers across the cool surface of his pillow. 'I bet he's been up and down all night, trying to find out about Jamie.' As she pulled on her robe and started down the stairs, she offered up a silent prayer that their son would be found soon and their family would be whole again.  
  
Reaching the bottom stair, Amanda caught sight of a decidedly uncomfortable- looking Lee, reclining on the family room sofa, his legs extending at least six inches beyond its length. A frown creased his brow and his lips were pressed into a tight line. As quietly as she could manage, Amanda pushed his shoes aside and seated herself in front of him on the edge of the coffee table, touching his shoulder softly and whispering, "Lee. . ."  
  
He moaned in pain before blinking his eyes open and turning his face toward her. "Morning," he croaked.  
  
"Long night, huh?" she asked, her fingers lightly brushing back wisps of hair that had fallen onto his forehead.  
  
"Yeah. . .I guess you could say that," he admitted, reaching out to take her hand in his and rubbing his thumb across her fingers. "Yours wasn't much better, was it? Seems like I heard you up with Jenny a couple of times. She's takin' it pretty hard, isn't she?"  
  
"Well, yes, but. . ." Amanda started, as she watched Lee struggle to sit up on the sofa and rub his free hand across his forehead. "She has been through an awful lot lately."  
  
"That she has," he agreed, dropping his hand self-consciously and pushing himself up off of the sofa. "It's kinda hard to understand, though. When she was. . ." he hesitated, raking his fingers through his hair and beginning to pad across the room, coming to a stop beside an overstuffed rocking chair. He turned back, looking into her eyes as he continued, "well. . .last month. . .she handled herself so well."  
  
"Right," she answered, rising from the coffee table and starting to walk into the kitchen. "But then again, she was busy trying to figure out how to get away, or how to get word to us. I suppose she just feels helpless this time."  
  
"Yeah. . .I know the feeling," he muttered as he followed her, reaching into the refrigerator for a bottle of water.  
  
Amanda saw him get out the bottle of pain reliever from the cabinet, too, but she didn't say anything about it. 'Not now', he'd said. Instead, she busied herself putting the coffee together and asked him, "Any news from the Agency?"  
  
He swallowed the pills and a sip of water and leaned back against the counter, replying, "I'm afraid not, Amanda, not the kind we want anyway. So far it seems like we're taking one step forward and then two steps back."  
  
"Haven't they found anything at all?" she asked in desperation, as she set out bowls of cereal and a couple of bananas on the kitchen table.  
  
"There was one thing," he began. "Bob Seehra had a tracking device in his car. . .but when our people found the car, it had been torched, and he and Jamie were nowhere near there."  
  
A sad frown passed over her face as she asked again, "There's nothing else?"  
  
"No," he answered, shaking his head slightly. After pouring coffee into his mug, he gazed out through the kitchen window, and appeared to be reconsidering his answer. "Well, at least we're fairly sure they haven't crossed the border, and they're still in Paktia province."  
  
Stirring the sugar into her coffee and staring into the steaming liquid, she said, "That's the good news, isn't it?" She picked up her mug and took a sip, brushing her other hand across the island's countertop, dusting off imaginary crumbs and avoiding his eyes.  
  
"Yeah. . ." he admitted in a quiet voice, placing his mug on the counter. "And I know. . .that's not much. It's all rough terrain, with all the mountains and thick forests." At her sad, distracted expression, he came around to stand beside her, slipping an arm around her shoulders, rubbing her arm and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. He touched her cheek with gentle fingers, turning her face toward him, forcing her to meet his determined gaze. "But Amanda, we'll find him. . .you have to believe that."  
  
She nodded silently, and said in a barely audible voice, "I know, I know."  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	6. Turbulence

Stormy Weather  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Chapter Six – Turbulence  
  
Amanda had nodded and whispered, "I know" to his attempt at reassurance, but it was clear to Lee that her fragile hold on hope was slipping. Her eyes held a far away look, tears threatening to fall as she bit her quivering lip. "Lee. . .why Jamie?" she demanded, "What's he ever done to deserve anything like this?"  
  
"Nothing, Amanda," he whispered, enfolding her in his arms, "he hasn't done anything at all." He held her close, stroking her back gently as she took in ragged breaths and began to sob in earnest.  
  
When her breathing had begun to settle down, Lee pulled back, lightly rubbing her arms and looking into her sorrowful eyes. "Look. . .why don't you and Jenny both stay home today?" he suggested, his voice full of tenderness, "I'm sure her teachers will understand, and I'll let the Agency people know."  
  
She frowned and protested, "But Lee. . .how can I help if I stay home?"  
  
"We can stay in touch by phone, okay?," he replied. He remembered a similar conversation years ago when he'd feared for her safety during the Serdeyich case and had insisted she go home. She'd fought him on that, too, but only for a moment. He echoed his own words, as he said, "Amanda, I don't want to argue with you about this. Now, you and Jenny had a really rough night. You need some rest, so just humor me, all right? Please?"  
  
She hesitated, but his penetrating gaze and familiar words appeared to win the battle, and she gave in, saying with a weary shrug, "Oh. . .all right."  
  
Lee pulled her closer and kissed her forehead once more, then, draping an arm around her shoulders, he guided her back toward the family room. "Okay, now, you just sit down here, and I'll make a few phone calls." After she was situated on the sofa, tissue box in hand, he went back to the kitchen and lifted the receiver.  
  
**********  
  
Paktia province, Afghanistan  
  
Jamie had managed to tip forward onto his knees and plant his left foot on the floor to push himself up to a standing position when he heard Bob Seehra's voice. "Better be careful getting up, after that knock on the head," he cautioned.  
  
"Too late," Jamie countered, with a slight shake of his head as he staggered, leaning his bound hands against the wall for support. "When will this blasted room stop spinning?" he wondered aloud.  
  
"Dizzy?" Seehra started. "Why don't you come on over here and sit on the bench?" he suggested, indicating the rough-hewn wooden bench with a wave of his joined hands.  
  
As Jamie slowly made his way across the room on stiffened, sore legs, he heard the jangle of keys outside their door. A young girl entered, bearing a tray covered with small, oval loaves of bread, sprinkled with what looked to Jamie like caraway seeds. As she laid the tray on the table, she spread her hands out before her, said only a word, "Naani," then turned and left them.  
  
"Nonny?" Jamie asked in confusion.  
  
"Naani, n-a-a-n-i. . .an Afghan bread," Bob explained. "Might as well dig in and have some. . .it should be safe—it's what they all seem to eat," he said, nodding his head toward the doorway.  
  
"Well I am kinda hungry," Jamie said, reaching out to pick up one of the loaves. When the bread was halfway to his mouth, he stopped and asked, "Wait. . .how do you know what they eat? Have you seen them?"  
  
"Yeah, just once or twice," Bob answered, chewing on his bread as he spoke. "Nobody's been in here with us yet, but I looked out through the cracks in the shutter there, and watched them for a while." At Jamie's wary look, he hesitated, then continued, "while you were still unconscious."  
  
"Oh," Jamie said, swallowing a small piece of the bread. "Hey, Seehra, can I ask you somethin'?"  
  
"Sure. And call me Bob, will ya?" he answered. "What d'you want to know?"  
  
"How come you don't have much of an accent? And how'd you get a name like 'Bob'?" Jamie challenged. "And. . ."  
  
Bob held up his hands and spread his fingers as best he could to stop Jamie's questions. "Okay, okay! One question at a time, all right?" As Jamie nodded, he went on with his answer. "Well, the short answer is that I was born in Pakistan to Indian parents, and we moved to the States when I was three years old."  
  
"That covers the accent," Jamie said. "What about your name?"  
  
"Easy answer--school," Bob replied. "Look, how many kindergarteners in Arlington, Virginia do you suppose could get their mouths around 'Balachandra'? 'Bob' was easier, plain and simple, and I've gotten used to it, all right?"  
  
"Yeah. . .all right," Jamie conceded, with a small smile. "Did you say Arlington? My brother and I grew up in Arlington."  
  
"No joke?" Bob asked, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "What's your brother's name?"  
  
"Phillip," Jamie answered, while doing his best to brush a few bread crumbs off of his pants leg.  
  
Bob stared into the distance for an instant, then nodded as if confirming a memory, and looked back at Jamie as he asked, "Phillip King. . .played basketball in high school, very popular with the all the girls?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Jamie replied. "You mean to tell me you two knew each other?"  
  
"Sure did. . .we had several classes together. So what's he up to these days?"  
  
"Well, believe it or not," Jamie said, "he went to med school. . .he's a resident at a teaching hospital in Baltimore."  
  
"Will wonders never. . ." was all Bob got out before the door burst open and two of their armed captors stormed in, each of them grasping one of his arms and pushing him roughly through the open door.  
  
Jamie's jaw dropped open and his eyes widened in shock as his new-found friend was taken away. With sudden clarity, he realized the desperate nature of their situation. Pushing off from the table and kicking the bench aside, he began to pace the room, searching high and low for some means, any means of escape.  
  
**********  
  
A bluish glow lit the quiet room, as Lee focused his attention on the various video screens in front of him. The satellite monitoring technician, Jack Robertson, was speaking. "Sir, these are some of the sites we're tracking in eastern Afghanistan. Based on the intel we have so far, we're assuming that the perpetrators we're looking for represent a small, isolated cell. . .possibly no more than five or six individuals."  
  
"Right," Lee responded. "And these infrared images," he began, waving his hands toward the screens, "what are they telling us?"  
  
"Well, sir, they're detecting heat, and we're able to focus in on movements of human beings, animals, and so on," Robertson replied. He pointed toward one of the screens, saying, "See, sir, the image in the top left corner. . .it looks to be a very busy place, with a lot of movement and at least fifty heat-signatures, but on the third screen from the left, second row, we can only detect eight or so bodies in motion."  
  
"Yes, I see," Lee said, opening his coat and stuffing a hand in his pants pocket. Moving forward to touch the bottom of one of the screens with his index finger, he asked, "And these numbers, here, are. . ."  
  
"GPS coordinates, sir, " the younger man answered. "That's. . ."  
  
"Global Positioning Satellite coordinates, yes," Lee finished for him. Turning around to face Robertson, he spread his hands in front of him, palms outward, saying, "All right then, let's concentrate on the images that show no more than ten individuals, especially where one or two of them appear to be isolated most of the time."  
  
"Yes sir—no problem, sir," Jack Robertson answered, and started clicking the mouse to select different locations.  
  
"Thanks, Robertson. I'll check back with you later," Lee said, walking out of the darkened room into the brightly-lit corridor.  
  
He blinked his eyes a few times, adjusting to the light, and pressed his fingers across his forehead in a futile effort to dull the pain. This morning's headache wasn't getting any better. As he turned to walk toward his office, Francine caught up to him.  
  
"More bad news?" she asked.  
  
"No. . .actually, it could turn into very good news. . .potentially," he answered, as they entered the bullpen. "Why? Do I look that bad?"  
  
"Oh no, Lee, of course not, you just looked. . ." she started, and stopped herself at his questioning look. "Never mind," she said, with a dismissive wave of her hand.  
  
As Lee pushed open his office door and waved her to one of the chairs, she began her official report. "We picked up a transmission from Yusef Shaheen just a little while ago, so I thought you'd want to hear about it right away."  
  
"Of course," he said, opening his drawer and pulling out a large white bottle. As he took out two red and white capsules and unscrewed the cap of his bottled water, he prompted, "So what did he have for us?"  
  
"According to some of the vendors at the local marketplace near the site of the abduction, there appeared to be only about five or six young men involved, and they were carrying rifles, but they didn't appear to have any kind of radio equipment with them." She stopped to consult her notes for a second, then went on, "Oh. . .and they took off in a couple of early 1980's vintage jeeps."  
  
"Anything else. . .about Jamie or Bob Seehra?" Lee asked, circling his finger in the air in a 'get on with it' gesture.  
  
"Well. . .yes," Francine said, questioning with her eyes if he was sure he wanted to know. At his brief nod, she continued, "They saw the man dressed in Afghan clothing walk to the jeep. His hands were bound, and the assailants pushed him along, but he was walking under his own power."  
  
"And Jamie?" he asked again, his frustration showing in his furrowed brow.  
  
"Well according to the men Yusef talked to, he had to be carried," she answered reluctantly. With a sad face, she said, "I'm sorry, Lee, but Jamie must have been knocked unconscious."  
  
Lee didn't utter a word, but leaned forward with his elbows on his desk, holding his head in his hands. His phone began to ring, an outside line. . .'probably Amanda,' he thought. He lifted his head and stared at the blinking light, but he didn't pick up the line. He wasn't sure what he would tell her, but in her present state, this last item was one piece of information he definitely did not want her to know.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	7. A Break in the Clouds

Stormy Weather

by matahari2

Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1

Chapter Seven – A Break in the Clouds

"Would you like another cup of tea, dear?" Dotty asked, her soulful eyes shining with compassion as she carried their cups and saucers over to the kitchen counter.

Amanda knew that look. She knew her mother felt just as helpless as she did. . .that she wished she could offer far more than a cup of tea. "Oh, no, thank you, Mother," Amanda said with the semblance of a smile, pushing away from the table and reaching for a tissue from the box on the island. After covering a small sneeze with the tissue and lightly dabbing at her nose, she sought out Dotty's eyes, saying, "Mother, I'm really glad you're here. . .it's good for us to be together. . ." she hesitated, concentrating on rubbing her finger along the edge of the countertop, then looked up to meet her mother's gaze.

"at a time like this," they finished in unison. Dotty stepped closer and slipped her arm around Amanda, patting her back lightly as she said, "Of course it is, dear. Now, where else would I be?" As she gave her daughter a gentle hug, their cheeks touched, and Dotty exclaimed, "Oh my goodness, Amanda! You're burning up!"

"Oh, Mother, it's nothing, really," Amanda said, waving it off. "just a little cold that's been coming on for the last few days. I'll be fine," she said, pulling herself out of Dotty's protective embrace and opening the cabinet to look for the bottle of pain reliever. 'Physically, anyway,' she thought.

"All right, all right," Dotty said, waving her hands in surrender, "but why don't you at least go upstairs and lie down for awhile?"

"Moth-er!" Amanda cried, drawing out the name in frustration. At her mother's hurt look, Amanda sighed and said, "Oh. . .all right." At the foot of the stairs, she turned back to say, "You know, it's awfully quiet up there. Is Jenny sleeping?"

"I don't believe so," Dotty replied. "The last time I checked, she was looking at some kind of maps on the computer. I suppose it's for school."

'For school? Maybe, but I'm not so sure about that,' Amanda thought, but she simply nodded to her mother and said, "Right. Well, I guess I'll go lie down. . .but please, don't let me sleep too long. I wouldn't want to miss Lee's call."

**********

Paktia province, Afghanistan

'Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb. . .' Bob Seehra muttered to himself as two of his nameless adversaries pummeled his ribcage. He hadn't given them anything, and he didn't intend to, not even after they'd knocked out three of his teeth. When his stint as a punching bag had ended, he looked up to see the guy he thought of as the chief thug, 'Mustafa', someone had called him, looking down on him with a self-important air.

"Mister Seehra," he warned, "do not play games with us. . .we saw you conversing with the American soldiers. . .the swine who destroyed our revered leader and three hundred forty of our brothers!"

"So?" Bob countered with a sneer.

Mustafa back-handed him roughly, and kept up the pressure. "What exactly did you tell them? Who among our number gave you this information?"

In the face of Seehra's determined silence, Mustafa turned away for a moment, signaling two of the men to come and take him back to the cell. As they reached the office door, he issued a final warning: "Your silence has bought you nothing. When we find the one who told you, that person will die. . .as will you!" Switching to the Dari language, the Afghan version of Persian, he instructed the two guards to bring the photographer, James King.

While Bob was out of the small room, Jamie had searched the place, and was more than a little surprised to find that his camera case had been left there under the table, up against the wall. He caught hold of the handle with the toe of his shoe and flipped it over so he could drag it forward. Kneeling down in front of the case, he used both of his still-bound hands to trip each of the latches. When he lifted the lid, he saw that both of his cameras had been removed, as he'd expected. He took his time inspecting the foam-packed case, running his fingers over the surfaces, until he found them, three metal-rimmed circles of glass--camera filters. "I know what we can do!" he whispered to himself, just as he heard shuffling noises approaching the entrance to the cell. Jamie snapped the case shut and slid it back as close as he could into its former position, then stood, leaning his back against the wall, as the guards pushed a bloody, bruised Bob Seehra through the doorway.

Jamie had no chance to exchange a word with his fellow prisoner, as the two guards grabbed him immediately, shoving him out into the hallway. He didn't know what would happen to him now, but he'd seen Bob, and that thought didn't offer much hope.

**********

"Jenny! Are you still at that computer?" Amanda asked, walking across her room and standing behind her chair. Placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder and peering at the monitor, she wondered aloud, "What on earth is that?"

"Well, see Mom, this picture right here is a topographical map of the Paktia province. It shows all the mountains and forested areas. See, these right here are the Zhawal mountains." Touching the screen with her index finger, she went on, "And look. . .down here below the map, there's a link to some photographs from the region."

"Mm-hm, yeah I see," Amanda said, as Jenny clicked the mouse to reveal a picture of an abandoned fort with a thick stand of evergreen trees behind it. Jenny clicked the "next" arrow, and they saw an image of rocky terrain, and a dry river bed between two mountains.

"You think Jamie could be there somewhere?" Jenny asked, still looking at the screen and clicking to view more images. "I sure wish I could help find him!"

"I know, Sweetheart. . .we all do," Amanda murmured, staring into the computer screen as if it were a crystal ball. Leaning down and stroking Jenny's shoulders, she said, "Come on, now, let's get you downstairs and have a little something to eat." Rising and turning toward the door, she continued, "By the way, you bookmarked that site, right? Your Dad'll want to see it when he gets home."

"Sure did, Mom. . .you know what else?" Jenny asked, spinning in the chair and hurrying over to the doorway. "I found one about the languages they speak over there—there's at least four of 'em, and one about their traditional clothing, and. . ." Jenny rambled on as Amanda followed her down the stairs, a trace of a smile on her lips. Even now, she could spare an instant to be proud of her intelligent, caring daughter.

When they came through the family room, Amanda spotted her mother seated in the rocking chair with her chin resting on her chest, head tipped to the side, and an open book on her lap, 'Agatha Christie, no doubt,' Amanda surmised. She held a finger to her lips and pointed back over her shoulder toward Dotty, letting Jenny know she shouldn't wake Grandma, as they went on into the kitchen. Amanda had just opened the refrigerator and taken out a loaf of wheat bread, some cold cuts and a jar of mayonnaise when the phone started ringing. 'So much for being quiet', she thought.

"Hello," she said, with a hopeful lilt in her voice. She'd just known Lee would be calling soon.

"Hi, Mom. . .it's me," Phillip said, quietly.

"Phillip! Sweetheart!" Amanda greeted, as cheerfully as she could manage, disguising her disappointment.

"Mom, is it okay if. . .if I come down to stay with you guys for a few days?" he asked, the sadness in his tone unmistakable, at least to his mother.

"Well of course you can, Phillip! You know that," she answered. "When will you be here?"

"I can probably be there by 5:00," he replied, "assuming the traffic's not too bad."

"But Phillip, I thought your shift didn't end until 6:00. . ." Amanda started to say.

"Mom. . ." he interrupted, "they told me to go home. See, they all know Jamie's my brother, and I guess I haven't been much use to the hospital the last couple of days. You know. . .I can't seem to concentrate on my work. . .just keep gravitating to the TV monitors, hoping to hear a little better news."

"Yeah. . .I understand," she said with a sigh. She perked up slightly, saying, "Well, Sweetheart, you just come right on down here. . .but you be careful, okay?"

"Oh, I will, Mom. All right, see you later," he said. "Love you!"

**********

Jamie had lucked out, or so he thought. There would be no beating for him, no lengthy interrogation. Instead, the man who seemed to be in charge, who spoke some English, albeit with a strange accent, had told Jamie to stand up against the wall and cup his hands in front of him. Then one of the guards had positioned a newspaper in his hands, while the other took his picture. Within ten minutes he'd been returned to the cell.

"Well! That was a surprise," Jamie said, after the door clanged shut. "No rough stuff, and no interrogation to speak of. . .all they did was take my picture."

"And you took that ath good newth?" Bob asked, lisping through the newly formed gaps between his teeth.

"Well. . .yeah," Jamie replied, sounding a little defensive, even to his own ears. "I mean, after what I saw they'd done to you, I thought. . ."

"Yeah. . .well you thought wrong, Jameth," Bob stated.

"It's Jamie. And. . .what do you mean?" he asked, the tension in his voice rising.

"Think about it," Bob said, standing to his feet and attempting to gesture with his hands as he walked across the room in five long strides. "Here you come, this nice-looking young man, working in the American press, no less. Look, Jamie, let's face it. They're using you to make some political hay 'while the sun shines'. Believe me, when it no longer serves their purpose, neither will you."

"Oh my God! We've gotta get outta here!" Jamie shouted. "Listen, while you were gone, I found something. I've got an idea. . ." he said, beginning to relate the beginnings of a plan.

TO BE CONTINUED


	8. The Silver Lining

Stormy Weather  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Chapter Eight – The Silver Lining  
  
Jamie leaned against the door, listening for any sign of movement on the other side. Hearing no sounds, he went to work, reopening the camera case and pulling out one of the glass filters and placing it on the floor. He wasn't sure he could break the glass with his hands, taped together as they were, so he stood to his feet and stomped on it instead. "Yeah! This oughta work," he said in a loud whisper, kneeling down, picking up one of the shards of glass and beginning to slice through the edge of the tape.  
  
"Any more where that came from?" Bob asked, holding his hands out as he sat down on the end of the bench facing Jamie.  
  
"Oh yeah. . .sorry," Jamie answered, offering Bob the piece of glass he'd been using and picking up another. As they worked at removing their bindings, Jamie shook his head and said, "I still don't get it."  
  
Glancing at Jamie's puzzled face, Bob replied, "What? You mean, why would they want to capture the two of us? Well, for my part, I guess that's because they seem to think I hang out with all the wrong people. . ."  
  
"Like me?" Jamie interrupted, frowning slightly.  
  
"Oh, no!" Bob shouted in denial, looking Jamie in the eyes as he said it. Returning his concentration to cutting into the tape on his hands, he hushed his voice and said, "No. It's the U. S. Army that's got them all in an uproar. See, these guys must have been the only ones from their group that survived after the Army bombed the caves where they'd been hiding last week."  
  
"Oh," Jamie said, nodding and looking down at his almost-separated hands as he tore at the remaining tape. "All right, but why would they have a reason to suspect that you'd have anything to do with that? Just because you were friendly with those soldiers back at the market in Zambar?"  
  
"Probably," Bob said with a noncommittal shrug, giving full attention to his half-accomplished task.  
  
"Yeah, but that was just a few days ago, and the cave bombings. . ." Jamie said, stopping himself when a sudden realization struck him. As he worked at peeling off the last of the sticky tape with his fingers, he darted his eyes toward Bob and whispered softly, "Um. . .are you trying to tell me, you know, without telling me, that you're a. . ."  
  
"Friendly guy?" Bob said with a tooth-deprived grin, effectively deflecting the question, just as soft footsteps sounded outside their door.  
  
Jamie rushed over to the bench, swinging his legs around under the table and folding his hands in his lap. Bob simply held his hands together and hid them between the folds of his loose-fitting tunic.  
  
The young dark-eyed girl slipped into the room, carefully closing the metal door. She padded across the room toward the table, glancing back over her shoulder once before addressing Bob Seehra. "Chotor asty, Balachandra," she whispered, lifting the veil.  
  
Seehra's face brightened at the sight of her, and he said, "Oh. . .hello, Fariya," returning her greeting and reaching out to take her hand in his. "Fariya, allow me to introduce Jamie King," he said, motioning to Jamie with his free hand. "Jamie, this is Fariya Bashir, Angel of mercy."  
  
"Mr. King," she said, a shy smile crossing her face as she held out her hand to him.  
  
"Pleased to meet you," Jamie said, standing up and shaking her hand. Looking to Bob, he asked, "So you two know each other?" He paused to cast at quick glance at Fariya before asking, "Is she. . .um. . .friendly, too?"  
  
"You could say that," Bob replied, holding his grin in check. His expression darkened as he stated, "But we have more important things to think about right now. . .like how we're going to get out of here, and when."  
  
Fariya had begun pacing the small space, tapping her index finger against her chin for a few seconds before she started to speak. "Perhaps I may be of service," she offered, standing still and placing a hand on her hip. She gestured with her free hand, counting items on a mental list. "The sun will set in two hours, and I will prepare their dinner--a saffron rice dish with raisins. It will be an easy thing for me to mix in something special. . .to help them sleep tonight," she said with a knowing grin and a nod of self- approval, as she pulled a long silver chain with a crystal clear pendant out from under her flowing garment. Holding up the small glass vial that dangled from the chain, she looked at her companions, saying. "This should do nicely."  
  
"Yeah. . . " Jamie said, the light of hope spreading across his features. "Now, what do you want us to do?"  
  
"You must remember. . .wait until after sunset," she began. "I will come for you when the time is right."  
  
**********  
  
Lee stared at the picture on the PC monitor, one of what looked to be an abandoned fort that backed up to a woodland area, 'in the Paktia province', the caption said. The picture, attached to Jenny's email message, had reminded him of something he'd seen earlier today. Robertson! That was it. . .the infrared images. . .one of those images they'd viewed that appeared to show only seven or eight people. He closed the page, pushed away from his desk and swung open the door to his office, cutting a wide swath through the bullpen as he headed out into the corridor.  
  
Francine had to step aside quickly to avoid a collision. She called out to him, "Lee! Where are you off to in such a hurry?" 'And couldn't you see me coming?' she wondered, but she held her tongue. . .she could understand his distracted behavior, considering all that he must have on his mind.  
  
Not slowing his pace, he answered over his shoulder, "Back to the satellite monitoring room, to check on. . ."  
  
"Lee, I just came from there, " she interrupted, scurrying to catch up with him and grasping his forearm to stop his momentum.  
  
He glared in response, saying, "Well?" as he pulled his coat open and stuffed a hand into his pants pocket, drumming the fingers of his free hand against his leg as she answered.  
  
"They've narrowed it down to two sites," she said. At his anxious nod, she continued, "One is a cabin up close to the Zhawal mountains, and the other is what appears to be an abandoned fort."  
  
Taking hold of Francine's elbow and resuming his progress down the hallway, he said, "Let's go take a look."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	9. Clearing Skies

Stormy Weather  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Chapter Nine – Clearing Skies  
  
Paktia Province, Afghanistan, Early evening  
  
Pulling up the seemingly huge pair of pants she'd borrowed for his disguise, Jamie asked,  
  
"Fariya! What do I do with these?"  
  
As she hurried over to help him, folding in two additional pleats and pinning them in place, she stifled a giggle. "Americans!" she muttered under her breath.  
  
After Jamie had slipped the cotton tunic over his head and tied the long sash at his waist, he held out his hands, saying, "Well. . .how do I look?"  
  
"Wait—here, don't forget your vest," Bob said, holding it at Jamie's back so he could slide his arms into it.  
  
"There is one more thing, Mr. King," Fariya said, touching two fingers to her chin and fixing her gaze on Jamie's light hair. She turned to Bob with outstretched hands, saying, "Balachandra! Please give me your turban. Here. . .you may wear this Persian wool cap instead. With your dark hair, it will not matter if your head is not completely covered."  
  
After the exchange of headgear, Jamie asked, "You're positive our friends out there are all asleep?" At her nod of assurance, he looked to Bob, asking, "All right. . .what do we do now?"  
  
Bob waved his hand in a 'Let's go' motion. "Follow me," he said, as he led them out to the courtyard.  
  
Fariya had already disarmed their captors and moved their weapons, along with Jamie's cameras, to the saddlebags they'd use for their journey.  
  
"Horses?" Jamie asked.  
  
As he put his foot into the stirrup and swung himself up into the saddle, Bob replied, "Yeah. . .how'd you think we were gonna get out of here?"  
  
Realizing that he had no idea, since he had no memory of arriving at this God-forsaken place, Jamie simply shrugged and pulled himself up onto the horse's back, as the three of them rode off to the east.  
  
**********  
  
Middleburg, Virginia  
  
"Sorry Lee, she's in the shower right now," Dotty apologized. "She'll be so sorry she missed your call. You want me to have her call you?"  
  
"Oh no, that's all right. I wanted to tell her something. . . good news about Jamie, possibly. . .but I'll be on my way soon anyway," he replied. "I'll just tell her when I come home."  
  
"Good news?" Dotty asked, the glimmer of hope sounding in her voice.  
  
"Well. . .possibly. We'll have to wait and see," Lee said honestly. "Anyway, please just tell Amanda I'll be home around 5:00, okay? And Dotty. . .thanks for everything. See you later."  
  
Just as Dotty replaced the receiver in its cradle, she caught sight of Amanda at the foot of the stairs. "Oh, I'm sorry, dear, but you just missed Lee's call," she said, as she began to relate the details of their conversation.  
  
**********  
  
Absently running a hand through his hair, Lee stood up from his desk, car keys in hand, and considered what he hadn't told his mother-in-law. . .that after his frightening experience on the highway the night before, he didn't want to wait until dark to start the drive home. Hell—he'd been having enough trouble in the daytime. When he and Francine had nearly collided earlier, he truly hadn't seen her until she called out his name. Shaking his head, he lectured himself, 'Time enough to worry about that later, Stetson. Better get going,' as he left his office and crossed the bullpen.  
  
As he made is way out into the corridor, being careful to look both ways, he saw Jack Robertson. "Any more news?" Lee asked, as he continued on toward the elevator.  
  
Glancing off to the side for a second, Robertson hedged, "Yes, sir. It could be very good news, sir," clearing his throat nervously.  
  
"And what you're not telling me is?" Lee prompted, circling a finger in the air.  
  
"You see, sir. . .", Jack started, a bead of sweat forming on his brow, "we think they may have escaped."  
  
The elevator doors opened just then, and Lee pulled Jack Robertson into the small space along with him as he said, "How do you know? What was it you saw?"  
  
"Well. . .we saw five people who'd been standing around earlier, lying down, either on the open ground or inside the fort somewhere. Then, while we still saw two people moving occasionally, in an isolated space, it looked like there was another individual moving from one of the still bodies to another. . ."  
  
When they had reached the Georgetown foyer, Lee listened in silence, as Robertson continued to relate their latest findings. 'Good! They had help from someone else,' he thought, smiling to himself.  
  
When Robertson finished telling about the possible escape, Lee's face brightened as he said, "This could be very good news, Robertson." With a glance at his wristwatch, Lee continued, "All right, I'm on my way home now. You go ahead and relay this intel to Francine up in the Q, and ask her to contact me either at my cell phone number or at home, just as soon as we have confirmation. Got it?"  
  
"Yes, sir!" Jack said, turning to hurry up the stairs.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	10. Sunshine At Last

Stormy Weather  
  
by matahari2  
  
Summary / Disclaimers, etc.: See Chapter 1  
  
Chapter Ten – Sunshine At Last  
  
It was 4:15 by the time Lee pulled out of the Agency parking garage. Fifteen minutes after that, he was pulling onto the highway when he heard a horn honking and tires squealing beside him. Turning his head to the left slightly, he saw a car that looked familiar, a late model sportscar, fishtailing and finally straightening out in the next lane. 'Oh God! Has it happened again?' he wondered, fear written in his glassy eyes as he realized the identity of the other driver. 'Phillip! Great! I can't just endanger myself—I have to threaten my family, too?' At that worrisome thought, he gripped the steering wheel even more tightly, if it were possible, and slowly drove the rest of the way home.  
  
**********  
  
Amanda smiled broadly, opening the back door to him. "Sweetheart! I'm so glad you're here," she greeted, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "Francine's on the phone," she said, as she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow and walked with him into the family room. "She didn't tell me everything yet, but she did say there were plenty of reasons to believe Jamie'd be all right."  
  
"That's great, Amanda," he said, his furrowed brow not quite agreeing with the smile on his lips.  
  
She could see that something else must have happened to trouble him, but she determined to let it pass for the moment. Giving him a slight shove toward the stairs, she said, "Go on. . .better take your phone call!"  
  
On his way to the office, Lee glanced into Jenny's room as he passed, seeing Phillip and locking eyes with him for an instant. 'You knew it was me, didn't you?' he questioned silently, averting his gaze in a flash at Phillip's answering nod.  
  
**********  
  
In spite of everything else that had happened, Lee couldn't keep the smile from his face, calling out to Jenny and Phillip, "Hey, guys—come on downstairs with me. I have some really good news for all of us!"  
  
Jenny's face glowed with excitement, and Philip's smile grew as he picked up his sister and swung her around.  
  
"Come on!" Lee called again swirling his hand in a 'forward-ho' gesture, as the three of them hurried downstairs. "Amanda. . ." Lee began, his joy evident in his bright eyes and undiluted smile as he held out his hand to her.  
  
Before he could say anything more, she rushed into his arms, clinging to him as she exclaimed, "He's coming home, isn't he? Oh Lee, I'm so happy!"  
  
"Me too," he agreed, giving her a squeeze before pulling back to look at Amanda, Jenny and Phillip in turn. "Now, let's all sit down, and I'll tell you all about it."  
  
  
  
**********  
  
Dulles Airport, the next day  
  
As they waited on the tarmac, Lee could see that the anticipation was getting to Amanda. She shifted from foot to foot, wringing her hands and saying, "Lee, this is so exciting! I just know that door's gonna open any minute now, and Jamie's gonna come down those steps! You know, it sure is a good thing that young girl, what was her name. . .oh yeah, Fariya, I think you told us. . .anyway, I'm sure glad she was there to help them," she said, hardly stopping for air.  
  
He gripped her hand tightly, saying with a grin, "Yeah. . .I'm glad she was there, too. They'd have never made it without her. Reminds me of someone else I know."  
  
At his remark, Amanda turned to look into his eyes. "Oh, Lee, that's so sweet. . ." she started to say, as Lee touched her elbow and gestured toward the opening door at the top of the stairs. Five eternal seconds passed before Jamie appeared, making his way down the steps and running toward his waiting family.  
  
"Hey! What's that crazy outfit?" Jenny asked.  
  
Phillip chimed in with, "Yeah. . .what is he wearing?!?"  
  
Lee and Amanda grinned at each other for a second, then both turned to answer together, "What do you care?!?"  
  
As Jamie finally approached them, Jenny was the first to run up and practically tackle him with her hug. "Hey, Squirt! You're gonna squeeze the stuffing out of me!" he cried out in mock discomfort, then ruffled her hair before reaching out to grab Phillip's outstretched hand.  
  
The brothers hugged briefly, and Phillip said, "It's great to have you home, Bro'." Jamie hugged him again, simply whispering, "Thanks," before reaching his arms out to their mother.  
  
"Mom!" he shouted, as she threatened to outdo Jenny with her fierce embrace.  
  
"Jamie! I love you so much!" she said, pulling back to look into his face.  
  
"Love you, too, Mom!" Jamie replied with a bright smile. He held out his hand to his stepfather, saying "Lee!"  
  
"Jamie!" Lee said, grasping his hand.  
  
Jamie didn't stop at a handshake, though, but gave Lee a full-on hug, saying, "I love you, too, Lee," Before letting go, he whispered, "I hope you know that."  
  
Lee patted Jamie on the back, nodding a "yes" to him, as he took in the rest of the family with a sweeping gaze. "All right. . .everybody ready?" he asked, as they all walked back into the terminal together.  
  
  
  
**********  
  
Stetson Residence, the next morning  
  
"I'm sure glad that's all settled," Lee said, as he buttoned his shirt and tugged at the cuffs.  
  
"Yeah, well at least one thing is settled," Amanda said, brushing up the back of her hair and pulling it into a ponytail with a brightly-colored cloth band. "I mean, no one could be happier that Jamie's home, and he's doing fine. . ."  
  
"But. . ." he said, beginning to catch her drift.  
  
"But. . .Lee," she went on, "there's the problem of your headaches, and the vision problems, and the mood swings. . .you know, even Phllip noticed, and he was just here for a couple of days, and. . ."  
  
"Amanda. . ." he said, trying to interrupt.  
  
She wouldn't stop, though. She paced back and forth in front of him as she kept up the verbal onslaught. "And you didn't say you wouldn't go to see a doctor, you just said 'not now', but I know you, Lee, and when you say 'later', you mean 'never', and. . ."  
  
"All right, Amanda," he said quietly, folding his arms in front of him.  
  
"I mean I know how you are about doctors and hospitals, but. . ." she continued, then realized she might have missed something. Stopping herself mid-tirade, she whipped her head around to look at him and questioned, "What did you say?"  
  
He smiled indulgently and pulled a small white card out of his pants pocket, handing it to her as he replied, "I said, 'all right', Amanda. See? I already made an appointment."  
  
"Nine o'clock in the morning–-one week from today," she said, smiling and reaching out to give his hand a gentle squeeze. As he pulled her into his embrace, she whispered, "Whatever this is, Sweetheart, we'll deal with it, together."  
  
THE END ***  
  
  
  
*** Yes, there will be a sequel, dealing mostly with Lee's problems (of course, you know me...I can't seem to resist mixing in a little intrigue!) You can look for the first chapters very soon. mh2:) 


End file.
